Siloam Springs girls push past Bentonville West

Siloam Springs’ girls dominated the end of the third quarter and most of the fourth to pull away for a 49-32 win over Bentonville West on Tuesday.

With the game tied at 2727, the Lady Panthers went on a 16-2 run that began in the third and carried over well into the fourth.

Siloam Springs (3-0) got turnovers in a span of five of six possessions that also helped its cause.

“Defensively, I thought we caused them problems into the third and really most of the fourth,” said Siloam Springs coach Tim Rippy. “The defensive intensity picked up. We were more aggressive trying to set some traps at the beginning of the fourth. I thought that really helped us get going.”

Sydney Moorman started the Lady Panthers’ surge with a pair of free throws and Quincy Efurd followed with a 3-pointer to give the Lady Panthers a 32-27 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Following the first of the five turnovers in the fourth, Moorman scored in transition to go up 34-27. Another West turnover led to a Mimo Jacklik followed with a fastbreak bucket for a 3627 lead.

And after the third straight turnover, Brooke Ross knocked down a pair of free throws to put Siloam Springs ahead 38-27.

West’s Savannah Rangel broke the run with a pair of free throws to pull within 38-29, but Efurd answered with a basket to put Siloam Springs back up 40-29.

After a Ross free throw, Jacklik had another steal and score to go up 43-29.

Siloam Springs led by as many as 18 points in the second half.

West (0-4) battled early and played physical with the Lady Panthers. But without starting point guard Marybeth Dyson, West struggled with turnovers, especially in the second half.

“At some point, we find a place in the game that goes south, and we don’t recover very well,” said West coach Randy Richardson. “Our focus, we get distracted. Coach Rippy, they did a real nice job pressuring us, finding a weakness, and exploiting it.”

Jacklik led Siloam Springs with 16 points, while Ross had 13.

Savannah Rangel led West with 12 points.